Pumpkin Spice Seed Bars (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

I think I’ve mentioned before that I find no end of inspiration from my fellow bloggers when it comes to cooking and baking. I still love a good cookbook or cooking magazine, thumbing through it in the comfort of a big chair and wondering what I want to make next. And lucky me, I happen to keep winning new cookbooks from giveaways on other people’s blogs! But blogs really do provide me with much of my inspiration and there are a few blogs I keep returning to, again and again. I’ve mentioned Roxana’s blog, A Little Bit of Everything, a number of times, and I am about to do it again right now. Because this recipe, although very much modified to suit my own tastes and needs, was once again inspired by her.

I’d seen her Dried Fruits and Seeds Bars back in June and they immediately caught my attention. I’ve always loved snacking on granola bars and these seemed similar but even healthier, sweetened only by applesauce and full of nutrition. Sadly, even as healthy as they were, they wouldn’t have been kind to my blood sugars. But the idea of them stayed on my mind for weeks, even months. I kept wondering how I might modify them into a diabetic-friendly snack. The applesauce and the dried fruits were a problem because they would add a lot of additional carbs that my body wouldn’t tolerate. What to do, what to do?

The end of the summer came so quickly and with September came the hunt for canned pumpkin. It wasn’t easy to find, so when I had some leftover from my Pumpkin Cardamom Bread, I couldn’t just let the precious stuff go to waste. And that’s when it occurred to me to use pumpkin in place of the applesauce, and make a fall-oriented version of Roxana’s bars. I skipped the raisins and currants and added in chopped nuts instead. I did have ground chia seed on hand, but I decided to go with some lovely roasted flax seeds from Trader Joe’s instead. The flour was replaced with almond flour, naturally. I added a much smaller portion of oats – I wanted some in there for texture, but I didn’t want to add too many carbs. I did a smaller batch than she did, to see how they would turn out. And of course, I added the typical spices that go with pumpkin at this time of year.

The Results: I was really at a loss of what to call these bars, as they aren’t granola bars in the regular sense of the word. But they are somewhat similar. They have a softer texture and aren’t as chewy, but if you are looking for a low carb snack bar, this is a pretty good bet. I loved the fall flavours in this, the pumpkin combined with the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. However, I do think that they weren’t really sweet enough. Roxana’s recipe had no sugar or sweetener, but would have been naturally sweet from the applesauce and dried fruit. I put in a little erythritol and stevia to compensate, but it wasn’t quite enough. Pumpkin just doesn’t have enough natural sweetness on its own. So I have written up the recipe to reflect a little more sweetener, which I think would help.

I will say, these were an excellent breakfast with a smear of peanut butter on top. Peanut butter and pumpkin go surprisingly well together!

Preheat oven to 400F and line an 8×8 inch pan with foil. Butter or grease the foil.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredient and stir together until well incorporated. Spread in prepared pan. Line top with plastic wrap or parchment paper and press firmly and evenly into pan with the bottom of a glass or flat-bottomed measuring cup. Peel away plastic or parchment.

Bake 20 minutes, until center is firm and edges are golden brown. Let cool in pan and then cut into 12 bars.

Serves 12. Each bar has a total of 6 g of carbs and 2.5 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.5 g.

Comments

I saw a similar seed bar at Whole Foods the other week and was wondering how they made it, no added sugars, but dried fruit in the ingredients. Love your low carb adaptations you made – so creative. Will be sharing this with friends looking for a healthy low carb snack.

Those are amazing. I love the color and the pumpkin seeds peeping in there. did you leave out raisins and currants because of the sugar content in them? I would have thought they'd add an extra level of flavor. Just curious (being a non-low carb or gluten person). Gosh, they're gorgeous.

After I emailed you earlier I was thinking, maybe I'll make some pumpkin bars :)) Guess I'll stick with the cookies! I'm so going to try your version! Perfect after our stroll to the park! Thanks your mentioning my name, once again! You're too sweet!

I recently gave in at a wedding to the posh-looking chocolate cake. It had a majestic texture and was consistent throughout and nice to eat. Not to mention the fact that nearly 4 hours afterwards I was thinking I would need the hospital and could hardly walk due to severe joint pain. Sick for 2 weeks afterward (I’m coeliac)

Meanwhile, on the other hand, I recently found a potential cure for those with gluten intolerance and celiac disease – Dr. Wise’s Gluten Relief – I blogged about it at http://wp.me/p1244N-6k

These look great! I love the inspiration found in others' blogs too. I recently made my own energy bars for the first time (also inspired by a blog!) and they were amazing. I'll try these next! Also, I'm having a pumpkin blog hop right now and hope you'll link up!

Carolyn those bars look amazing, you can just see the flavors and wholesomeness packed into each bar. Sometimes a snack doesn't have to be too sweet, I know were use to sugars but I think flavors are more pronounced with out the sugars.Thanks for remaking Roxana's bars!

Hi there. I don’t calculate calories and fat because the only thing I am concerned about is carbs. You should be able to just enter all the ingredients into a system and it will tell you what those numbers are. There are some free systems online for calculating that sort of thing.

I made these tonight and they were incredibly good! I thought I was giving up granola(ish) bars for good when I started eating low-carb. I used Vanilla NuNaturals Stevia and Swerve and they were perfect. Thank you!

[…] her for the upcoming book. She’s soon to be a cookbook author! I was so happy for her! Vegan Pumpkin Cookies (Low Carb and Gluten Free) Thank you all for being here today. Hope you’ll have a wonderful weekend. Sending you lots […]

[…] on an easy dinner idea each student can put together in less than 30 minutes but after seeing these pumpkin bars. I immediately changed my mind and took the oats out of the cupboard. Energy bars and a big cup of […]

I am Carolyn, a writer, runner, mother and diabetic. I am also the evil mastermind behind this blog. I live for food. Join me in my experiments in creating delicious low carb, gluten free recipes. Read more

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.
I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.
I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.